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This is a guide to circling England using its inland waterways by boat or on foot. Along the way we’ll learn about the country’s industrial heritage--how cities grew and thrived--and pass through spectacular landscapes and idyllic countryside.

Beginning in leafy Surrey and ending at Bristol Docks via north Yorkshire, this 780-mile journey passes through the industrial landscape of the West Midlands and the stunning Pennine hills, as well as famous cities, including Oxford and Bath. Taking you via the first canal in Britain, you’ll see Hampton Court Palace, Cadbury World, idyllic Shropshire villages, and iconic examples of Victorian engineering.

The route is split up into different sections, so readers can either take on the whole circumnavigation or only one part of it. Celebrating the restoration of the canals that make this journey possible, the book features (and uses, if you’re traveling by boat) famous pieces of waterways history, such as the Anderton Lift, the Barton Swing Aqueduct, and the twenty-nine locks at Devizes. Each section of the route is illustrated by a map and features practical information on locks, tunnels and aqueducts, nearby places of interest, good pubs, useful transport links, and more.

Giving readers a unique way to discover the beauty and variety of England’s waterways, and laying down a new challenge to inland waterways enthusiasts, this is a practical and fascinating guide.

Derek Pratt is a professional photographer and specialist writer on inland waterways. He regularly writes and photographs for Britain's leading waterways magazine Waterways World and is the author of Waterways Past and Present, London's Waterways, Urban Waterways,and The Thames, all published by Adlard Coles Nautical.